Description
Color: Body is brown dorsally, with small, round or oval, pale yellowish spots, outlined by very small brownish dots. A yellowish brown band runs from the pectoral fin to the caudal fin base that forms lower boundary to the spotted dorsal region. It is creamy-white on ventral side. Cheek traversed by three slightly oblique, narrow, creamy-white bands, one from below nostril, second from below anterior edge of eye and third from anterior to gill opening. A similar inverted U-shaped band is present below posterior part of eye. Caudal fin with dark brown blotches on rays appear like the presence of six vertical bands.

It has an elongated body, almost flattened ventrally, tapering posteriorly to a narrow caudal peduncle. The mouth is small, terminal; lips are thin, covered with many tiny papillae. Chin is prominent. Nasal organ is a short erect papilla set in a low depression well before eye, with two separate openings. Pre-nasal snout length is 28% of head length. Eyes are somewhat elongated, moderate in size. Lower border of eye is well above level of mouth corner. Anterior margin of gill opening has a few short spines. Dorsal fin has 8 rays, elongated and pointed ranged from anterior to anus. Anal fin has 7 rays; elongated and pointed. Pectoral fin has 15 rays. It has a truncated caudal fin with 11 rays. Dorsal, anal and pectoral fins are hyaline. Ventro-lateral part extends from behind chin to caudal fin. Lateral line is distinct. Antero-dorsal branch surrounds the eye and it almost meets at midline anterior to nasal organ. Body spines are small, two-rooted and they are sparse dorsally and moderately dense ventrally. About 18–19 spines are located across the belly on a line between two pectoral fin bases